Improvement in apparatus for steaming hats



.. 1 55 A J. A

Patented July 1, I873.

G. W. BANTA.

. Apparatus for Steaming Hats. 'No. M0341.

AM, PHDTO-UTHUGRAPHIC m Mflossamvz Pleocsiss UNITED STATES PATENT Orrion.

onannns w. BANTA, or ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR STEAMING HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,341, dated July 1, 1873; application filed March 15, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BANTA, of Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Steaming Hats, &c., of which the following is a specification:

My. invention relates to improvements in apparatus for steaming hats, and has three distinguishing features: First, an arrangement of pipes securing the circulation of hot water between a boiler and the lower part of a chamber provided with perforated shelves, in conjunction with a pipe for conveying steam from the upper part of the boiler to the upper part of the chamber, the object of which is to insure the presence of dry steam,

- and to guard the upper part of the chamber proceeding from the bottom of the elevatedsteaming-chamber B, into which water is first conducted, either from an elevated tank, (3,

' or from some other head of water, by the service-pipe I) provided with the stop-cock c, by

-which means the supply can be cut oft when the water has reached the required level, no-

- tice of which fact is given by a gage, 11 attached to the steaming-chamber on a slightlylower level than the mouth of the dischargepipe M. This gage may be a small tube or opening, through which the water will drip very slowly when on a level with it, owing to the agitation within, but which will allow a small jet of steam to escape, and thus give the alarm when the water-line is lowered.

In operation, water having been admitted to the lower portion of the steaming-chamber B, and thereby to the pipes and water-back, until the gage 1) indicates that the proper level is reached, the stop-cock cis closed. As the water becomes heated within the waterback a itascends and is discharged through the pipe a into the lower part of the steaming-chamber B, just above the water-level, being replaced by the cooler water from the steaming chamber, which, being heavier, flows through the lower pipe a into the lower part of the water-back. By this means a circulation of the water through the water-back a, pipes a a and the lower part of the steamin g-chamber B is constantly maintained. This tends to equalize the temperature of the whole body of water, and, by raising its temperature within the steaming-chamber B, prevents the too rapid condensation of the steam therein, and also prepares the water to be more readily converted into steam. The steam-pipe E proceeds from the upper part of the waterback a, upward through the fire-chamber, within which it is enlarged so as to subject the steam it contains to the highest attainable heat. Steam, being thus more or less superheated, is condueted from the enlargement 0 through the pipe E into the steaming-chamber at a point just below the perforated shelf or partition b ,'upon which the article to be treated rests.

By this arrangement of pipes gravity determines the exit of hot'water and wet steam from the water-back through the pipe 0., and prevents anything but the drier or lighter vapor from being discharged into the steaming chamber through the steam-pipe E.

It will be seen that the continuance of the described circulation depends largely upon the preservation of the water-level in the steaming-chamber at a point just below the mouth of the discharge-pipe a and that this water-level is preserved by means of the supply-cock c and the water-gage W, as arranged in relation to the circulating-pipes and the waber-back a.

A safety cover or valve, d, of suitable form, is adapted to the steaming-chamber to obviate the possibility of the steam attaining a dangerous pressure.

What I claim isv 1. The system of pipes arranged in the described relation, consisting of the water-circulatin g pipes a and a and the steam-pipe E,

in combination with a boiler, and with a steamin g-eharnberprovided with perforated shelves,

3. The boiler, the described system of pipes, the steaming-chamber, and the watergage, in

for the purpose of subjecting hats or other 010- combination with the service-pipe cock 0, subjects to a bath of dry stea-m.

2. The boiler 0r vmter-baek a, the described system of pipes, and the steaming-chamber, in

combination with the Water-gage b substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

stantially as set forth.

CHAS. W. BANTA. \Vitnesses:

GEo. W. MIATT, EDWARD D. PIERSON. 

